In these crazy times, things have gotten even stranger as Joe Rogan has gone from being one of the most liked individuals in Combat Sports and Podcasting to one of the most controversial.
It started with outrage directed at Rogan due to spreading “false vaccine information”, but now the latest narrative also includes clips of him saying the N-word and referring to a black neighborhood as “Planet of the Apes“.
Samuel L. Jackson has now heard of this and gave his thoughts in a recent interview with the Times.
Samuel L. Jackson Speaks on Joe Rogan Controversy
“He is saying nobody understood the context when he said it,” Jackson said, rolling his eyes according to the Times. “But he shouldn’t have said it. It’s not the context dude– it’s that he was comfortable doing it.”
“Say that you’re sorry because you want to keep your money.” Jackson continued,”…You weren’t having fun and you say you did it because it was entertaining. It needs to be an element of what the story is about. A story is context – but just to elicit a laugh? That’s wrong.”
Jackson would go on to explain the difference between Joe Rogan‘s usage of the word, and why it was ok for Leonardo DiCaprio to say it.
“While we were rehearsing Django Unchained (A movie about slaves), Leo (DiCaprio) said, ‘I don’t know if I can say n**** this many times’, Me and Quentin said that you have to. Every time someone wants an example of overuse of the word they go to Quentin – it’s unfair. He’s just telling the story and the characters do talk like that. It’s art.”
Joe Rogan Apologizes
With the world seemingly wanting his demise, Joe Rogan is holding firm, continuing his podcast, and has issued an apology.
“There’s been a lot of sh*t from the old episodes of the podcast that I wish I hadn’t said or had said differently. This is my take on the worst of it,” Rogan said in the caption of his apology video.
He went on to talk about how shameful this was for him and claimed the compilation made by India. Aria is made of clips “taken out of context”.
“I know to most people, there’s no context in which a white person is ever allowed to say that word and I agree with that now. I haven’t said it in years… There’s not another word like it in the English language where only one group of people are allowed to use it. If a white person says that word, it’s racist and toxic but a black person can use it and it can be a punchline, a term of endearment, lyrics to a rap song. It can (even) be a positive affirmation, but it’s not my word to use.”
“I’m well aware of that now,” Joe Rogan continued. “I never used it to be racist, because I’m not racist.”
He went on to acknowledge the gravity of this situation, saying: “…I clearly have fu***d up.”
“I would never want to offend someone for entertainment for something as stupid as racism. If anything perhaps this can be a teachable moment for anyone who doesn’t realize how offensive that word can be coming out of a white person’s mouth. My sincerest apologies, it makes me sick just watching that video.”
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